Recep Erdogan threatens Europe with refugees if no support

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday warned Turkey would be forced to open the doors to Syrian refugees fleeing to Europe if Ankara did not get more international support.

Turkey is home to more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees and recently called for a "safe zone" in the war-torn country's northeast, to which refugees could return.

If the safe zone does not happen, "we will be forced to open the doors. You either give support, or if you won't, sorry, but we can only put up with so much," Erdogan said.

"Are we going to shoulder this burden alone?" he asked during the televised speech in Ankara.

Erdogan claimed Turkey had spent $40 billion on refugees and criticised the West, especially the European Union, for failing to live up to its promises.

Under a 2016 agreement, the EU promised Ankara six billion euros ($6.6 billion) in exchange for stronger controls on refugees leaving its territory for Europe, but Erdogan said only three billion euros had so far arrived.